On Sudden Rains

It was a rather pleasant morning as I pulled out of the parking lot today, I am early than usual...where my usual means..late. As I near my office, the weather went berserk, dark clouds came in like props. Then it poured, like there were no tomorrow. I was ready to sprint into the building lobby when I saw my officemate signalling me to join her in her umbrella. I ran towards her and joined her in -now I realized, a rather tiny umbrella. As much as we wanted to run, we cant, coz we have o keep pace with each other. We pretty much made it dry at the lobby - well each half of us that is.

As we were drying off I told her she better have her hair ran through tap water to wash away the rain and prevent her from having a cold. Then she asked, is that a Filipino thing? I paused...tried to come up with a smart response then answered , yup!. I really dont know how to make logic out of that thing. From what I learned from my childhood, they say we have to take a shower if we get soaked in the rain...otherwise we will get sick. It is probably the same one as the one that says, "do not sleep with your hair wet, or you'll be blind".

Funny thing is, even the Japanese believe in that sleeping with wet hair thing, although their version results in pulmonary problems when you get old - a little bit less harsh and forgiving than waking up blind...how do you get to wake up blind anyway?? . My point is, things that we were taught by our elders - customs, traditions, folklores, sayings, though unexplainable and sometimes down right absurd, have been there longer than we have been in this world - old practices woven into the fabric of the culture - like a gene that would not go away as it is passed from one generation to another. And just like strong genes, its presence remain because time and time again it has proven itself worthy. One day we might find scientific connections to these practices but until then, I am going to the restroom wet my hair and practice my culture, because there arent much to lose...only problem now is we only have paper towels.